The present invention relates to a parking indicator which can be adjusted to assume at least an inoperative position or condition, the presence of which indicates lack of parking permission. The change-over from a condition which does not indicate lack of parking permission, i.e. an operative condition or position, to the inoperative condition and back again into the operative condition results in the destruction or loss of at least one value symbol.
In order to provide an opportunity to charge a fee for the parking of motor vehicles, such fee corresponding to the length of time the vehicle is parked, stationary parking meters have already been established in many cities. These meters are operated by the insertion of coins or other tokens, and include an indicating device which allows monitoring personnel easily to see whether the apparatus is operative or not. Where such parking meters are concerned, a clockwork mechanism is set in motion when the operative condition commences and, when the parking period paid for is ended, the clockwork mechanism switches off the parking meter so that any further occupancy of the relevant site by the motor vehicle may be readily detected.
Such parking meters can scarecely be used in a relatively large area, for example in the entire central area of a large city, for the purpose of levying parking fees. Quite apart from the cost of such an arrangement, the equipping of an entire municipal area with parking meters disposed at short distances from one another would be aesthetically inappropriate. Also the collection of the quantity of coins contained in the parking meters in such a case, and even the securing of such a large number of parking meters against breakage or pilfering would be in many cases practically infeasible.